Currently, there exists no overwhelmingly accepted treatment for gastrointestinal, specifically esophageal bleeding with etiology such as; esophageal ulcers, esophagitis, Mallory Weis tears, Booerhave's syndrome, esophageal varices, anastomosis, fistula, and endoscopic procedures.
Electro-cautery and sclerotherapy are two existing treatments for esophageal hemorrhage, however both run a risk of perforation to the esophagus. Electro-cautery requires a large amount of pressure to be applied to the wall of the esophagus and also inherently damages tissue. Sclerotherapy consists of injecting a hardening agent in to the area of the injury with a needle. Clipping is another method of treatment; it consists of a two or three-pronged clip that can be inserted into the mucosa of the esophagus to constrict the area of the bleeding. If applied correctly, clipping is effective in controlling hemorrhage, however clips are difficult to deploy. Often, the clip is not inserted deep enough into the mucosa and sloughs off before the desired time.